We Always Seem To End Up Here
by HasThisUsernameBeenTaken
Summary: Two different people who seem to be connected only by a common pain. A story about two people trying to love themselves again so they can maybe love each other.
1. Ginger Root

**Yeah here's another fic since I can never seem to write one at a time. Nope I have to be writing at least three at a time to make sure I have no life. I don't care though I love this site. Anyway yeah here's a new one! Welcome back old readers and welcome welcome new ones! Enjoy!**

**I do not own Inuyasha.**

**. . .**

A pained groan sounded from a figure hidden under a thick, red comforter atop a quite luxurious California king bed. He stirred his eyes opening slightly to reveal two amber, and very bloodshot eyes. He quickly closed them the sunlight streaming in from the large no longer curtained window proving to be too much for the hangover he was currently suffering through.

"Good morning sunshine," a voice chimed beside him.

He grunted and sat up on his elbows shielding his eyes from the sun. Sitting on the edge of his bed was a young woman about the same age as him, maybe older. She was fair skinned with small, red painted lips (the lipstick now smeared slightly on the edges) and dark brown eyes. Her ink black hair was cut short in an asymmetrical hairstyle and her slender figure was covered in tight leather pants, an equally tight red top, and black high heeled boots

"Fuck Yura why did you open the curtains?" he grumbled.

"I wanted you to wake up so I could see the results of you being _completely _hammered last night and, as I thought, you look like shit."

"Oh well I'm so damn happy your little experiment worked out now can you please close the god damn curtains?"

She smiled, "Of course sugar plum."

Once the curtains closed, he could he felt a lot better. His head was still fucking pounding, but it wasn't as bad as before. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sighed now feeling bad for yelling at the girl.

"Look I'm sorry Yura, my head's just killing me. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She giggled and skipped back over to the bed placing herself beside her very naked friend.

"Inuyasha, if your little morning fits bugged me we would've stopped having sex ages ago."

He let out a short laugh running a hand through his unusual silver colored hair.

"So what did I drink last night that made forget everything?"

She laughed, "Mushin whipped you up one of his new mixes and for some reason you drank it. From there you were the hottest mess in the club. I was worried the sex would be really sloppy and I almost turned you down, but your you and it was actually a lot better than I expected so good job buddy."

"Keh, nice to know you were worried about my stroke and not me."

"I know, I'm a gem," she stood up grabbing a little black purse from the floor. "Anyway, I have to be at the salon in thirty so I'll see you later."

"Ok, let me walk you out. I have to stop by Kaede's anyway."

"Ooh tell the old bag I said hi, that moisturizer she gave me does wonders."

Inuyasha stood up wavering a bit and cursing at the loud pounding in his head that seemed to get louder by the minute. He yanked on some red pajama pants and stumbled out of the messy room with Yura into his messier living room. On his black leather couch were two naked bodies, one of them his best friend and the other some random foreign girl from last night. He walked up his hand balled in a fist and knocked the guy over the head. The guy shot up his shaggy black hair covering his face.

"The baby isn't mine!" the guy shouted.

Yura stifled a giggle and Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Wake up you asshole. I'm going to Kaede's and when I come back the girl better be gone and my _expensive ass leather couch better be clean_. We clear?"

His friend yawned and dragged a hand down his face.

"Yeah, tell her I said hi and bring me back some of her magic hangover tea."

He snorted and headed for the front door Yura in tow. He shut the door behind him and rubbed his temples.

"I hate him."

"Whatever if you two were any closer you'd be a gay couple," she snorted fishing in her purse and pulling out a cigarette. "Well I'm leaving. Don't forget your appointment with me at the salon tomorrow at 12:30 and if I need to see you before that I'll call you."

"Keh is that all I am? Your personal sex toy?" he joked hugging her.

"Give yourself some credit Yash. You're also my way into the exclusive clubs of this lovely city."

He shook his head watching as she made her way to the elevator. He and Yura had been sleeping together for years now. It's nice to have a friend to mess around with because you know they're clean and you're comfortable around them.

He ran a hand through his hair and pushed off his door making his way to his neighbor across the hall. He lived in a fancy apartment complex downtown with rooms that were big for no particular reason and nice window views. He didn't talk to any of his neighbors except Kaede. She was a short, withered old woman with an eye patch and a lot of interesting stories to tell. After her husband had died, her family set her up here where she could live the rest of her life in comfort. She always says she would prefer to live closer to them, but she doesn't want to waste the money they spend on the place. He visits her a lot, mostly in the morning when he has hangovers. She's a pretty well-known herbalist throughout the prefecture and her remedies are the best. She was also a crazy good cook. When Inuyasha would run out of food, she would always make him something to eat.

He banged on the door leaning his forehead against it.

"Kaede it's me open up!"

There wasn't an answer. She's always up when the sun rises making her little concoctions in the kitchen which was pretty close to the door so there was always a quick response.

He knocked again and hollered, "Kaede?"

Now he was starting to worry. She _was _an old woman. Maybe she had fallen? Or broken her hip? Or-? Dread pooled in his stomach joining the nausea that had already been there. He jiggled the handle and had every intention of breaking the door down. And then it began to open. Relief flooded over him and he scowled rubbing the back of his neck.

"Damn Kaede, what's with the slow response? Scared the shit outta-."

He paused as his eyes met chocolate brown one. This was _not _Kaede. The girl in front of him was _beautiful_. She had cream colored skin, long, wavy raven hair, and full strawberry pink lips with a tooth brush held between them. She was slender with long legs covered in green running shorts and a small waist and full breasts hidden behind a white tank top. Yeah not Kaede.

He blinked from his stupor and noticed that the girl was staring at his chest area her cheeks blushing pink.

"Uh, so, you're not Kaede."

Stating the obvious seemed to snap her out of her trance and she shook her head unable to speak with her mouth full of toothpaste. She held up a finger telling him to wait retreating back into the apartment. She returned shortly after her mouth vacant of any toothbrushes or toothpaste.

"Um hi, sorry about that. I'm Kagome, Kaede's granddaughter. Are you one of her patients?"

'_Kagome,' _he thought to himself_, 'nice name. Nice everything damn.'_

"Yeah, well kind of? I'm her neighbor I live across the hall. I come here a lot in the mornings because of…hangovers," he admitted hesitantly.

"Oh so you're Inuyasha? She talks about you a _lot_. You can come in, I'll make you that ginger tea of hers."

She stood aside gesturing him in. He nodded muttering a thank you and walked in. The place had changed completely since he had last been there, which was like a day ago. Kaede had always kept to a traditional décor but now the place looked more modern. It was the same size as his place with a big living room and a nice sized kitchen across from it. The far wall was entirely window and had a sliding door leading to a balcony. She had a white carpet laid out by the window wall and on it was her furniture: a long, white couch that curved slightly against the window wall, two white love seats on each side of the couch, and a glass coffee table in the middle of it all.

He followed her to the kitchen and took his seat on the island bar looking around. Then kitchen was the same; there were still jars of plants and spices stacked neatly on the counter and weird old cauldron like bowls.

"So where's Kaede? Vacation?" he ventured watching her ass as she reached for a particularly high jar of ginger root.

"Oh no, I live here now. Moved everything in yesterday."

This removed his attention from her butt, "Where'd she go?"

She finally got the jar down and realized what that had sounded like.

"Oh no! No grandma is fine we just kind of switched places," she explained taking a ginger root from the jar. "I just got a job close to here and I was looking for a place to stay, and then she offered to let me stay here only if she could move to my old place by my mom and if I took care of her clients that still come around. So I gave in after a while and here I am."

Inuyasha huffed propping an elbow on the counter and resting his face in his palm.

"Well that was random, she didn't even say goodbye or nothin'," he pouted.

"Sorry about that, it was pretty sudden," she apologized rinsing off the root.

It was silent for a while after that not because he didn't want to talk to her, but because he couldn't stop watching her. The way she moved was torture.

"So," she began suddenly smirking, "am I justified in feeling a bit weird about the fact that you come to my grandma's apartment half naked all the time?"

He looked down just remembering that he was indeed shirtless and chuckled.

"Yeah sorry about that. I guess I got pretty comfortable over the years."

"Oh I get it," she said throwing the ginger slices into the boiling water.

She sat across from him crossing her arms on the island.

"So you guys talked a lot huh?"

"Yeah I guess. When she moved in, she made it her business to take care of me. Like making sure I ate and crap like that."

"Aw that's sweet, how long have you lived here?"

"Since I was about fifteen I think."

Her eyes widened and she looked like she was going to ask about his parents but pressed her lips into a thin line. She didn't want to pry. Inuyasha was relieved when she didn't ask him why, it was a touchy topic.

He grinned wickedly, "So I'm guessing you were the little girl in the shrine maiden outfit with a bow and arrow?"

She began to blush furiously and buried her face in her hands.

"Yes that would be me," she groaned.

He laughed, "You shouldn't be embarrassed, and it was a cute picture. I just didn't know you were any older since that was the only one she had."

She looked back up shyly, "Yeah I'm not much of a picture person."

He raised an eyebrow, "Why not? You're gorgeous."

It was his automatic answer so he said it without thinking but it was true wasn't it? They kind of just stared at each other a blush rising to her cheeks again, and then a timer went off. She jolted at the sudden noise.

"Oh the tea!"

She jogged over to the pot and took it off the stove. Inuyasha watched her as she poured it into the cup adding lime and some other ingredients to the beverage before setting it in front of him.

"Here, hope this makes you feel better."

He thanked her bringing the hot drink to his lips and taking an experimental sip. His eyes widened; it was great. Even better than Kaede's. He noticed she was staring at him waiting to see what he thought.

"So?"

"It's great. Thanks a lot."

She grinned and he almost choked on the tea. Like wow she was just incredibly attractive."

"I'm so glad I haven't made it in a while."

He assured her it tasted fine and then remembered he left a certain asshole at home.

"Well I'm going to leave, I have a friend to check up on."

"Oh alright I'll walk you out."

They walked out the apartment the mug of the tea still in his hand.

"Well I'll see you around, hopefully when I'm not drunk. Or hungover. Or half naked."

She laughed, "Yeah, you can come over whenever you need some more tea."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind," he said giving her an obvious once over.

She blushed once again nodding and retreating back into her apartment. He grinned shaking his head and opening the door to his own apartment. He found his friend throwing away the last of the garbage. He had cleaned himself up a bit his shaggy black hair now bound in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck revealing dark brown eyes.

"Ah there you are-hey where's my tea?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and handed him the mug having only taken a few sips.

"Knock yourself out Miroku."

He made his way towards his room.

"What about you? Did you already have some?" Miroku called after him.

"No," he called back grinning, "I just feel a lot better."

**. . .**

**(A/N: Hope you liked it! Review please!)**


	2. Bad Days

**Enjoy!**

**I do not own Inuyasha.**

**. . .**

Inuyasha sighed in relief as the cold water from his bottle poured over his head, which felt fucking great after a long morning run. Not a lot of people like getting up so early on Monday mornings, but Mondays were different for Inuyasha. Well one particular Monday, the first Monday of the month. These particular Mondays were hard, so he liked to run to clear his head. He shook off the excess water in his hair and pushed open the door to the fancy apartment complex. He grinned spotting his favorite victim of his sexual harassment, Kagura Onigumo.

Kagura worked the counter handling visitors and stuff, and she was also the sassiest female in existence. She was tall and had short black hair that was always pulled up into a high pony tail, and brown eyes. She had a fan in her hands at all times no matter the weather.

"Hey Kagura," he leered leaning on the counter showing off his bare biceps.

"Go away."

"Aw you're cold, can't you be nicer to me? We've known each other for so long."

"Much to my disappointment," she replied curtly whipping her fan shut. "By the way, your brother's goons came by earlier."

She handed him a white envelope with the Taisho family seal stamped on the front. He tore it open and took out the letter inside looking it over with a frown etched into his expression. He clenched the paper in his hand stalking towards the elevator. He punched the up button with his thumb his other hand clenched at his side.

"That fucking prick!" he snarled.

Just as the vulgar words left his mouth, the elevator door opened revealing his new neighbor. His anger dissipated for the seconds it took him to take in her outfit. She wore a forest green short sleeved dress that ended just above her knees with a white Peter Pan collar. Tiny white pearls pierced her ears and her raven hair was pulled up into a Gevlochten knot. He blinked from his trance noticing she was staring at him wide eyed.

"Um, is everything alright?" she asked.

He subconsciously clenched the letter in his hand which made her eyes drift to it automatically.

"It's nothing," he quickly changed the subject. "So are you headed to work?"

"Yep, it's my first day."

"Cool, well good luck then. I'll see you around."

He walked passed her into the elevator pressing the appropriate button, and, when the doors were about to close, she stopped him.

"Look I know we just met last night, but I have good ears. So if you need me to, I'll listen."

Inuyasha stared at her in shock for a minute. Actually, it was more like confusion. Who's able to be willing to do something like that after only hours of meeting someone? It was actually kind of suspicious. Was someone paying her to get dirt on him? Who sent her? Thinking like this, he may seem paranoid but these were questions he always had to ask himself. He looked her over quickly once more, she didn't seem like the type to do something like that. However, he learned a long time ago that stuff like that doesn't mean shit.

"Ok," he said with a forced smile, "Thanks."

**. . .**

"Are you serious?"

Inuyasha grunted in confirmation as Yura lathered the shampoo through his hair. She was a professional hairstylist in one of the best salons in Tokyo, and she was the _only _one allowed to cut Inuyasha's hair. However, she was being rather rough at the moment. He had told her the contents of the letter he'd received earlier that day and she was as angry as he was.

"You can't let that dick boss you around like that!"

She rinsed out the shampoo and applied conditioner smoothing it through his locks. He sighed and closed his eyes as she rinsed the conditioner out as well.

"I mean it's not like it's the first time he's been an ass to me."

"Ok but this is like a whole new level of prick for him. He's trying to turn your home into a…a cage for fucks sake-."

"I really don't want to talk about this anymore."

Yura tightened her lips upon seeing his expression. He looked…defeated. She proceeded to blow dry his hair until it was ready to cut. They sat in silence as she snipped away his dead ends with quick precision. She snatched the cover off him once she was finished and folded it up placing it somewhere around her station. When she turned her attention back to him he was staring in the mirror blankly. Sighing she walked over to him placing her hands on his shoulders and staring into the mirror with him.

"You think you're so hard Yash," she mused running her hands through his hair, "but you're not. I know with your kind of life you'd like to be, but for someone with a heart like yours it's impossible. You've held out pretty well all these years, I'll give you that, but this…this mistreatment is starting to eat at you. I can see it."

He was silent and still for a while longer and she didn't know if he heard her. Then, he pulled out his wallet setting the required amount of money on her station.

"Then I'll keep acting like it until I actually am."

**. . . **

He must look like such a creep right now. Loitering by an elementary school's playground in a hoodie and sunglasses with two cake pops stuck in a little styrofoam square. 'No officer I'm not trying to kidnap a child I just like to look like a pedophile'. But he made her a promise; he'd be here every Monday at her lunch break so they could eat cake pops together.

He bounced his leg impatiently, wasn't the bell supposed to have rung by now? As if on cue, the bell did its thing. Excited shouts reached his ears as the primary school kids flooded onto the playground. He hid behind the usual big oak tree so none of the staff would see him since he technically wasn't allowed to visit her at all.

"Bum bumbum bum bum…"

He smirked at her little musical signal and replied, "Bum bum."

A little figure dashed around from the other side of the tree and clung to his leg.

"Uncle Inu!"

He smiled warmly and rubbed the top of her head, "Hey Squirt."

Rin was his beloved niece. She had long, raven hair she had inherited from her mother's side and the bright amber eyes of the Taisho family. Even though he didn't get along with his brother, he considered Rin to be the only family he had. She was just this little ball of energy that could always put a smile on his face. He remembered when she first showed up at his door only two years ago, she was six then and she had just found out she had an uncle. So she made her babysitter take her to him; since then she's wiggled her way into his life. How a six year old was determined and smart enough to seek him out he will never know but he's glad she did. Since then, he met with her every Monday so they could he cake pops together.

"So how's school small fry?"

"I'm not that small Uncle Inu, and it's been really fun! We got a new teacher today too since Miss Hana left. She's so pretty, like a princess! And she can even do princess hair! She can do pretty braids with flowers and ribbons and she's so fun and we play a lot of games and-."

"Ok, ok I get it," he chuckled. "I'm glad you like her so much."

"So, are you coming to mommy and daddy's restaurant opening tonight?"

Inuyasha paused, cake pop half way in his mouth. He lowered it sighing and giving his niece an apologetic look.

"Rin, you know your dad doesn't like havin' me around. I can't go."

She pouted, "But I got a new kimono and I wanted you to see it!"

He sighed again and gathered the little girl in his arms.

"I wish I could see it too Rin. I wish I could go to all the grand openings and all your birthdays just so I can see your outfits, but I can't. That's just how it is kid and it sucks, but you can always have Myoga take pictures and send them to me."

She clutched his red hoodie and buried her face in his chest.

"I wish I could live with you…"

He laughed, "Trust me kiddo, you don't."

When he received no response he pulled her back to get a look at her face.

'_Oh crap.'_

"Hey, hey no tears. I don't do tears. Tears are not allowed we don't do that here."

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes, "I just wish you and daddy got along!"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Aw geez Rin, you know that just won't happen. Some people just don't like each other and there's nothing we can do about it."

A bell sounded indicating the end of her lunch and he brought her into his arms again.

"Now listen kiddo, you're gonna have to lock those tears away. I don't think your new teacher will like seeing you cry. I know I don't."

She sniffed and nodded.

He grinned, "That's my girl! Now go on. Go learn a lot of new stuff miss third grade."

She smiled and nodded again pecking him on the cheek.

"Bye Uncle!"

He watched her run off toward the rest of her classmates and frowned.

"Bye Squirt."

**. . . **

After wandering around the city doing nothing of importance, it was finally late in the evening. He walked into an old shack of a sword shop downtown looking around for the person he met once every month.

"Totosai! Where are ya hidin' old man!" he hollered into the dark shop.

"Hold your horses boy I'm comin!" a raspy voice shouted in response.

An old man emerged from the back of the shop and, in the right lighting, he looked like a skeleton. The man looked malnourished. He had big round eyes and thin gray hair pulled into a top knot. He wore a dark green yukata that was opened way too much and the man barely had any teeth.

He sat behind the counter gesturing Inuyasha to sit, which he did. Totosai slid a thick, yellow envelope over to him watching his face as he tore it open. As usual, there was a huge amount of cash inside that was more than enough to get Inuyasha through the month, and also, like every other month for the past nine years, there was a white envelope inside. And, like every other month, Inuyasha took out the white envelope and flicked it over to Totosai.

"Give the old bastard my regards," he spat.

"Inuyasha wait," Totosai pleaded, "why don't you try reading it this time? He's just trying to reach out to you. He wants to be your father."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and made his way to the door.

Before he stepped out, he called over his shoulder, "I stopped wanting a dad a long time ago."

**. . . **

The burn of the alcohol as it rushed down his throat was awful, but oddly soothing. Today was one of the worst days he had in a while and he's had some pretty bad ones. He took another swig of the vodka wanting desperately to get as shit faced as possible. He lay on the couch and stared at the ceiling as his mind forced him to replay everything that happened today, and for every replay there was a swig of vodka there to chase it away.

Then, because there was always something to interrupt his wallowing in self-pity parties, there was a knock on his door. He groaned and decided to ignore it figuring it was Yura trying to get him to go out.

Then there was another knock.

He growled, "Go away Yura I told you I'm not going out tonight!"

"Um, it's Kagome. Sorry if this is a bad time, I just wanted to check on you."

He blinked and sat up. Check on him? What was she a babysitter? He got up and swayed over to the door opening it and setting his eyes on his lovely neighbor.

"Um hey? Sorry is this a bad time?"

He chuckled and lifted the bottle of vodka, "No, I'm not that busy. Just running away from my problems with alcohol."

He was expecting a laugh but instead her eyebrows furrowed and she looked…worried.

"Well, we can't have that."

She snatched the bottle from and pushed passed him into his apartment. He watched her dumbfounded as she made her way to the kitchen and promptly dumped his vodka down the sink. He blinked trying to process what he was seeing.

"What are you doing?" he barked running over to her trying hard not to fall.

"Taking care of my grandma's favorite patient. You're not dying from alcohol poisoning while I'm here."

He peered down at her suspiciously, "Because I'm her favorite huh?"

"Yep."

He grinned and threw and arm over her shoulder, "Are you sure it's not because you're super attracted to me."

She tensed under his arm and set the now empty bottle on the counter.

"Are you always this obnoxious when you're drunk?"

"Are you always this evasive when asked a question?"

She huffed and pushed his arm off of her turning to face him.

"Well then, I'm going. Drink a lot of water before you pass out."

He snorted, "You can't just come into my place and boss me around ok I'm an adult. Irresponsible at times but still an adult. And I'm not even drunk ok I just have a buzz because someone wanted to dump out my expensive bottle of alcohol which you are so paying me back for."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine I'll go get my wallet."

She moved passed him and his eyes drifted down to her ass watching the way her hips swayed when she walked. He reached out and grabbed her wrist pulling her back quickly so she was flush against his chest. She looked up at him in shock.

"You can pay me back another way," he said lowly snaking an arm around her waist.

He bent down pressing his lips against hers.

'_So soft'_ he thought.

There was a shot of pain between his legs and another on his jaw.

But he was out cold before he could figure out what happened.

**. . . **

**(A/N: You got knocked THE fuck out. Don't be tryna force yaself on a lady booooiii. Review please!)**


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